Balloon Fiesta is always full of excitement and even some nerves, especially for those first time balloon riders, but one Albuquerque woman decided it was finally time to go up. It was a feeling she'll never forget.

A pilot, who has been flying at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta since 1977, died this week. Friday morning, Gary Tarter's friends made sure to honor him in true hot air balloon pilot fashion.

Balloon Fiesta was a bittersweet event for some people Thursday morning, as a globe honoring balloonists Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer-Davis, who died off the coast of Italy just over four years ago, was unveiled outside the Balloon Museum.

Two gas balloonists, one from Russia and one from the U.S., are teaming up to try and break two world records. Troy Bradley and Leonid Tiukhtyaev will try and break the straight distance and straight duration for balloon flight world records at the same time.

Many vendors at this year’s Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta say business is terrific so far – and that’s something we haven’t heard the last couple of years, when vendors complained about higher rental fees and lower profits. This year, they’re singing a different tune, in what appears to be the key of B Positive.

You will get a spectacular show at the International Balloon Fiesta before the balloons go up Wednesday morning, if the weather permits. A rare blood-red lunar eclipse will begin at 2:15 a.m. and will last until 7:30 a.m. The eclipse will peak over New Mexico at exactly at 4:55 am.